1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vessel for high-temperature, high-pressure steam sterilization, whereby autoclave sterilization (high-temperature, high-pressure steam sterilization) can be conducted in an unhindered manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, in the medical field, there is wide use of endoscopes whereby surgical procedures can be performed by inserting an elongated and thin insertion part into a body cavity, for example, to inspect the recesses of a body cavity, for example, or in order to use a surgical tool, if required.
In using medical endoscope devices of this kind, it is absolutely imperative that the endoscope being used is reliably disinfected and sterilised.
In recent years, wide use has been made of autoclave sterilization (high-temperature, high-pressure steam sterilization) as a method for sterilizing endoscopes, which does not involve complex tasks, provides endoscopes for use promptly after sterilization, and which also has low running costs.
In a known autoclave sterilization method of this kind, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.H5-285103, endoscopes which can be subject to high-temperature high-pressure steam sterilization are placed inside an autoclave sterilizing device.
Known representative conditions for autoclave sterilization are described in U.S. Standards ANSI/AAMI ST37-1992 published by the American Association of Medical Instruments, under the approval of the American Standards Association. These conditions specify sterilization processing for 4 minutes at 132° C. for pre-vacuum type sterilization and sterilization processing for 10 minutes at 132° C. for gravity type sterilization.
The environmental conditions in autoclave sterilization are extremely harsh for the precision electronic equipment, namely, the electronic microscope device, which is equipped with an imaging device, such as CCDs, or the like, and various countermeasures must be taken in order to achieve an electronic endoscope having resistance to an environment of this kind, for instance, high-pressure countermeasures, high-temperature countermeasures, steam countermeasures, and the like, compared to an endoscope which is used only with other disinfection and sterilization means.
More particularly, since the insertion part of the endoscope is inserted inside a patient, it is required to have various subtle characteristics, such as flexibility, elasticity, and the like, and therefore, there is a tendency for this part to be more vulnerable to high pressure, high temperature and steam, in other words, more liable to decline in characteristics, than the rigid front part, and hence it requires more advanced countermeasures.
Moreover, when performing autoclave sterilization, in addition to the endoscope, various buttons for controlling ventilation and water supply, and the like, removed from the endoscope, the waterproof cap, or an instrument, such as forceps, attached to the endoscope, are placed together on a tray and introduced into the autoclave sterilization device.
In this case, if autoclave sterilization is performed whilst one of the aforementioned peripheral elements of the endoscope, for example, an instrument, such as forceps, is overlapping or contacting the insertion part of the endoscope, or an elastic part thereof, such as the universal cord, or the like, then there is a risk that this part will be pressed by the aforementioned instrument, thereby damaging the insertion part of the endoscope.
It is important to design not only the composition of the insertion part of the endoscope itself, but also the mode by which elements are inserted into the autoclave sterilization device, in such a manner that the insertion part of the endoscope is not damaged by peripheral parts of the endoscope.
However, in the prior art, endoscopes which can be subjected to high-temperature high-pressure steam sterilization have been provided with high-temperature countermeasures when introduced into autoclave sterilization devices, but no consideration has been given to protecting the insertion part of the endoscope from peripheral parts contacting and pressing against same.